


Frozen in time

by Sibart



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Identity Reveal, Inspired by Castle (TV), M/M, Medical, Near Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2020-01-07 07:47:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18406265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sibart/pseuds/Sibart
Summary: Steve and Tony are going to die, the mechanic might as well confess some secrets





	Frozen in time

There were days where Tony regretted keeping his identity secret.

Today was one.

  
He had been abducted with Steve and put in a giant fridge. One or two degrees below freezing, if his internal thermometer was right. The edges of the arc reactor were burning him and the light jacket he was wearing wasn't doing much. They had tried to force the huge door, but even the super soldier's strength hasn't been enough to open it. Iron man could have cracked it, with one or two reactor blasts. Tony stark was, on the other hand, useless.

He was curled on himself, his knees under his chin. If it wouldn't warm the arc reactor, he could press against his chest until the pain from the pressure was higher than the one from the burn. Steve was somewhere behind him.

All Tony could think of was the pain raising on his chest. Not that he would die and Steve would discover on his dead body the arc reactor, that he would find out that his armored best friend had lied to him for years, that he would finally reach peak disappointment, because let's face it, no one wanted to be bestie with a war profiter. He was definitely not thinking about that.

He felt something slump on his shoulders. The warmth of the soldier's coat floaded through him.

"You're gonna freeze, take it back."

"Super serum, remember? Worst case scenario, I'll take a 70-years-long nap."

With difficulty, Tony moved his legs to close the leather jacket and once he made sure the arc reactor couldn't be seen he turned to thank the soldier. He was now wearing a blue shirt on top of a white tee.

"You're sure you'll be alright? Because I wasn't that cold you know if- " 

" Don't be stupid. " 

Steve's hand raised in the air. Before he could think better of it, Tony ducked his head like an afraid cat. 

" Wow, sorry you just have, uhm, ice in your hair. "

" Yeah, right, sorry. "

The mechanic turned to hide his face. It was so embarrassing. He knew Steve could never hurt him. He felt the soldier shift inconfortably. 

" Did I ever " he started " make you feel... Threatened by me? "

Tony tensed. Steve was the one who made him feel safe, home. 

" Of course not. " 

He felt the soldier refrain himself from asking more questions. He owed him some answers, didn't he? 

" I..." Tony saw his head turn to face him, eyes full of hope. 

" I just got, uhm,... Some reflexes that are hard to get rid of. " 

Steve had a very puzzled expression. 

" Listen, I didn't want to be the one to break it to you but Howard was an asshole. " 

His eyes widened as he processed the information. His muscles tensed, and his jaw clenched. 

" Sorry, I shouldn't have tell you that, forget it " he tried to shrug it off " it's old and not really interesting. "

The pain in his chest rose more and more. If they get out here alive, he'll surely have a 3 degrees burn around the arc reactor. Everything else hurt so much he felt numb from the pain. He couldn't think, his mind focused on the fact that he couldn't feel his fingertips or his toes anymore. A mechanic without hands, that was something he really didn't want to see. 

"Tony." 

Steve's voice started to be shaky. 

"What?" 

"I have an idea. You won't like it." 

"That wouldn't be a first." 

Talking was so hard, why was talking so hard? 

"I know you don't like being touched, but body heat." 

He wanted to cuddle? That wasn't dumb. But he could see the arc reactor, or worse, feel it. On the other hand, Tony was dying, and dying in Steve's arms wouldn't be that bad.   
When he tried to stand up, he realized he didn't feel his legs either. The soldier grabbed him before he could hit the floor. 

"Fuck." 

Steve sat back, taking Tony with him. His back was pressing against the soldier's chest, and Steve put his arms all around the mechanic. His chin was resting on Tony's curly hair. 

If they got out of here alive, he thought, they should do that on the common room couch in front of a movie. 

However, the odds were more in favor of him dying there. Tony had known for a long time that he wouldn't die peacefully in his sleep when old. He expected to die on the battlefield, or killed violently in a dark alley. Not frozen to death. He had never thought of frozen to death. 

"They're gonna find us." 

Steve's voice was a whisper, shaky and unsure. It felt like he was trying to convince himself more than Tony. 

"Iron Man is gonna find us." 

"No he's not." 

"What ?" 

"Iron Man. Is not. Coming." 

The ton was arsh. Tony was angry at himself, even though right now he didn't have the energy to be. 

"How do you know? He's your body guard." 

"He's a reckless, alcoholic, anxious piece of shit." 

Steve's arms tensed, and pushed against the arc reactor, Tony wished that the coat was thick enough. 

"What are you talking about?" 

"I know him." 

"Not like I do. He is neither of those things." 

"I am, Steve. And worse. So is Iron Man, Steve. Because, it's me. All those years it's been me." 

Tony waited for the answer, for the shouting. For the look on captain America that would made him feel even more like a useless weak man. Steve kept silent. 

"Steve I'm sorry, I should have..." 

The grip loosened, Steve's arms fell to his sides, his head bumped Tony's. 

"Steve. Steve. Answer me. Steve." 

He didn't have the strength to panic. He closed his eyes. He didn't have the strength to keep them opened. He heard a crash, footsteps. Someone talked to him, he didn't understand what they were saying, or who it was. Several people got him up. He couldn't walk, all his body was numb. Someone carried him. Everything was a blurr. He didn't loose consciousness, not really. He pushed back everyone trying to examine him. He was buried under layers of covers in the ambulance, next to Steve, who hadn't woken up yet. Tony hadn't lost any fingers, in the end. He could feel them again.   
The medics made him sit with a hot coffee in hand, while the rest of the Avengers was talking with them. He drank slowly, more for the heat burning his throat than for the caffeine. Someone sat next to him, but Tony didn't react. 

"What did you tell me, back there?" 

Tony took several seconds to process who was talking and what was the question about, then several others to ponder his answer. 

"I'm tired." 

"They said you didn't want to be examined." 

Tony clunched the blanket. He took a few sips of coffee. 

"Why did you tell me?" 

" 'thought I was going to die. Didn't want you to find out like that, on a dead body." 

"Do think all those things?" 

"They're facts, Steve, not opinions. I'm tired." 

"You're reckless. A bit" 

"A bit? Really?" 

"it doesn't entirely look like recklessness." 

"What does it look like, then? Stupidity? Rashness? Hazard ?" 

"Self-sacrifice, most of the time. Bravery." 

A harsh laugh escaped Tony's mouth. Those words weren't meant to describe a man like him.  
Steve shifted to face him. 

"Self-loathing." 

Tony gulped. He wasn't supposed to know that much. 

"Why aren't you mad?" 

"I'm tired. I'm cold, and I need tea. With honey in it." 

Tony was fine with avoiding the subject. So he followed. 

"And a slice of lemon? " 

"Exactly." 

"You're a grandpa." 

Tony nodded towards the Avengers team and the medics. 

"What are they talking about?" 

"You. Me. How we ended up in there." 

"How about we let the grown-ups taking care of this mess and we go home early, for once?"

"Sounds good."


End file.
